Down payment assistanceMaryland
Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program
$5,000 for city employees, with the city's page listing up to $10,000 for some purchases
A second lien with no interest and no monthly payment. Live in the home as your primary residence for five years and it is forgiven. Leave early and the remaining balance is repaid at closing.
Funding was available the last time we checked.
80 awards remained as of September 21, 2026.
Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Program terms change; confirm with the administrator before you rely on them.
At a glance
- Amount
- $5,000 for city employees, with the city's page listing up to $10,000 for some purchases
- Type of help
- Forgivable loan
- Where
- Baltimore City
- Run by
- Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, Office of Homeownership
- First-time buyer
- Repeat buyers welcome
- Income limit
- None
- Price limit
- Yes, see below
- Homebuyer education
- Required
- Your own funds
- At least $1,000
How the forgivable loan works
A second loan with no payment that is forgiven over time or after a set number of years in the home.
- Interest: 0%
- Monthly payment: None
- Forgiveness: Five-year forgivable loan. The city describes its incentive loans as forgiven when you stay five years as your primary residence; for its first-time buyer incentive it has published a 20% per year reduction.
- When you would repay: Sell, refinance, or stop living in the home as your primary residence before year five and the unforgiven balance is due.
Who qualifies
- Repeat buyers welcome. Open to repeat buyers as well as first-time buyers.
- Income. No household income limit (checked 2026-09-22).
- Price. No published price cap. Your mortgage cannot exceed the FHA limit for a single-family home, listed as $731,400 on the program page (checked 2026-09-22).
- Only for: government employees.
- Full-time, permanent employees of Baltimore City agencies or quasi-City agencies, employed at least six months.
- Fixed-rate mortgage only. Co-signers, cash sales and owner financing are not allowed.
- You must live in the home as your primary residence.
How to apply
- 1Before you make an offer, complete a homeownership workshop and a one-on-one counseling session with a City-approved counseling agency. The certificate is valid for 12 months.
- 2Confirm with your agency's HR office that you are a full-time permanent employee with at least six months of service, and get proof of employment for the file.
- 3Get pre-approved for a fixed-rate mortgage and set aside at least $1,000 of your own money.
- 4Get a ratified contract on a Baltimore City home with at least 30 days between the application and settlement. Register and apply in the city's Applicant Portal (Neighborly) with your title company's EIN.
- 5Once approved, the city sends funds to the title company in about 10 to 15 business days.
Watch out for
- The city's incentives page lists '$5,000 or $10,000' for this program while Live Baltimore lists $5,000. Ask the Office of Homeownership (410-396-3124) which amount applies to your purchase before you budget for it.
- First come, first served. The city showed 80 City Employee awards remaining as of 2026-09-21.
- Settlement must be at least 30 days after you submit the application. Funds are not retroactive.
- Quasi-City agencies count, but confirm your employer is on the city's list before you rely on it.
If you work for the city and want to live in the city, this is the easiest incentive on the board. No income cap, no first-time rule, just the counseling certificate and six months on the job.
Straight answers
Who counts as a city employee?
Full-time, permanently employed people at Baltimore City agencies or quasi-City agencies who have been employed at least six months. Contract and part-time roles do not qualify. Your HR office can confirm your status.
Can I stack this with other city incentives?
Yes, the city lists these as separate incentives. A first-time buyer under the income cap can often combine this with the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive, and a formerly vacant home can add the Vacants to Value Booster. Confirm the stack with your housing counselor.
Do I have to pay it back?
Not if you live in the home as your primary residence for five years. Sell or move out before then and the remaining balance is repaid at closing. Your loan documents control the exact schedule.
Sources
- Live Baltimore, Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program (read Sep 22, 2026)
- Baltimore City DHCD, Homeownership Incentives (six-month rule, $5,000 or $10,000, funding counts as of 09/21/2026) (read Sep 22, 2026)
Program details are summarized from public sources and change without notice. Funding badges reflect the last time we checked, not a guarantee of availability. This is buyer education from a real estate agent, not a loan pre-approval or a commitment to lend. Eligibility is decided by each program administrator and your lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Programs are the easy part. Timing is the hard part.
Most buyers lose assistance on a deadline, not on eligibility. Sean lines up the counseling, the lender, and the contract dates so the money shows up at closing.